Math Challenged
I started another Project Spectrum blue/Knit Blue project yesterday:
It's a baby sweater for my sister in the Tofutsies yarn. I had planned to knit the hooded sweater in "Not Just Socks for Kids", but I eventually realized that I'm very math-challenged. I screwed up on what I thought I was supposed to get for gauge and what I actually was getting. I thought I was supposed to get 7.5 stitches per inch. I actually am getting 8 stitches per inch. I thought that was just fine, because the smallest size of the pattern is size 2 and I really wanted something the 12 - 18 month range, so I could knit it at the smaller gauge and adjust a little here and there and have a smaller sweater. But as I got to knitting, I realized that this really was more like 6-9 month size. That's when I looked at the pattern gauge again and realized I needed 6.5 stitches per inch, not 7.5. I'm such an idiot!
So, the question then became whether I wanted to continue this project at all. I really don't like knitting such small sweaters for babies because they grow out of them so fast. Some babies are even born bigger than the 6 month size, so they never wear them. On the other hand, I do really like this yarn and this gauge. The hand is very soft and it would be a nice little baby sweater. The color is a bit brighter than that picture - it's once again gray and cloudy around here.
I looked at all of my infant sweater patterns and I could easily change this into a pattern for a pullover with a collar I have. I also could just make it into a very simple pullover with drop sleeves. Hardly any math involved there. Or I could rip it out and knit something else that I would be happier about. I do only have one day into it. So either it's not that much to rip out or it really wouldn't take that long to finish the thing, so if it only gets a few uses, no big deal. Decisions, decisions.
I'm trying to catch some of the Oscar-nominated movies that I missed and was very glad that this was re-released:
Forest Whitaker seems to have the Oscar already secured for his performance in this film (although Peter O'Toole could steal it away). He does an amazing job as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. He perfectly captures both the charming, funny side of Amin and the brutal, menacing side as well. Even physically, he's able to at times seem just huge and imposing and other times light and quick. It's a great performance. I also loved the performance by James McAvoy as the young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda to escape the expectations of his family and to have a bit of adventure and ends up as the person physician to Amin. I really liked the way he showed his character as so light and naive at first - just laughing and having a great time. He perfectly captured how the doctor is captivated by Amin - sometimes he gives him what I call "the Nancy Reagan" look - the look of complete and total adoration Nancy always gave Ronnie. Much, much too late he shows the doctor trying to convince himself that Amin is not that bad and justified in whatever measures he is "forced" to take and then finally being forced to face the rality of a dictator who murdered hundreds of thousands of his people. I really enjoyed the story, though at times it was hard to watch. There are some pretty brutal scenes of violence.
It's a baby sweater for my sister in the Tofutsies yarn. I had planned to knit the hooded sweater in "Not Just Socks for Kids", but I eventually realized that I'm very math-challenged. I screwed up on what I thought I was supposed to get for gauge and what I actually was getting. I thought I was supposed to get 7.5 stitches per inch. I actually am getting 8 stitches per inch. I thought that was just fine, because the smallest size of the pattern is size 2 and I really wanted something the 12 - 18 month range, so I could knit it at the smaller gauge and adjust a little here and there and have a smaller sweater. But as I got to knitting, I realized that this really was more like 6-9 month size. That's when I looked at the pattern gauge again and realized I needed 6.5 stitches per inch, not 7.5. I'm such an idiot!
So, the question then became whether I wanted to continue this project at all. I really don't like knitting such small sweaters for babies because they grow out of them so fast. Some babies are even born bigger than the 6 month size, so they never wear them. On the other hand, I do really like this yarn and this gauge. The hand is very soft and it would be a nice little baby sweater. The color is a bit brighter than that picture - it's once again gray and cloudy around here.
I looked at all of my infant sweater patterns and I could easily change this into a pattern for a pullover with a collar I have. I also could just make it into a very simple pullover with drop sleeves. Hardly any math involved there. Or I could rip it out and knit something else that I would be happier about. I do only have one day into it. So either it's not that much to rip out or it really wouldn't take that long to finish the thing, so if it only gets a few uses, no big deal. Decisions, decisions.
I'm trying to catch some of the Oscar-nominated movies that I missed and was very glad that this was re-released:
Forest Whitaker seems to have the Oscar already secured for his performance in this film (although Peter O'Toole could steal it away). He does an amazing job as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. He perfectly captures both the charming, funny side of Amin and the brutal, menacing side as well. Even physically, he's able to at times seem just huge and imposing and other times light and quick. It's a great performance. I also loved the performance by James McAvoy as the young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda to escape the expectations of his family and to have a bit of adventure and ends up as the person physician to Amin. I really liked the way he showed his character as so light and naive at first - just laughing and having a great time. He perfectly captured how the doctor is captivated by Amin - sometimes he gives him what I call "the Nancy Reagan" look - the look of complete and total adoration Nancy always gave Ronnie. Much, much too late he shows the doctor trying to convince himself that Amin is not that bad and justified in whatever measures he is "forced" to take and then finally being forced to face the rality of a dictator who murdered hundreds of thousands of his people. I really enjoyed the story, though at times it was hard to watch. There are some pretty brutal scenes of violence.
rdladd@arnan.com
